Cinco de Mayo will be extra-festive this year in the LGBT community, as international LGBT event Equality Forum concludes a weekend of panels and performances with a specific Latin focus.
Among the signature events are the May 4 annual International Equality Dinner at the National Museum of American Jewish History and, the following day, SundayOUT! at the Piazza at Schmidt’s, the popular outdoor party and celebration.
This year’s featured country is Cuba.
“It is an opportunity to explore the rights and challenges of that nation’s LGBT community,” said Equality Forum executive director Malcolm Lazin.
This week, the U.S. State Department agreed to allow Cuban LGBT advocate Mariela Castro, daughter of the Cuban president, to visit the annual symposium after initially denying her travel request.
“She is an internationally respected LGBT activist in her home country,” Lazin said. “She has been a leader in terms of HIV/AIDS education and prevention, is responsible for allowing transgender Cubans to have reassignment surgery without charge, and has helped educate her fellow countrymen about homophobia.”
Castro will receive the International Ally for LGBT Equality Award at Saturday’s dinner. Equality Forum will also honor former Congressman Barney Frank and Exelon. Pennsylvania Treasurer Rob McCord will be the keynote speaker for the dinner.
Lazin said McCord and the honored guests are longtime contributors to the fight for equal rights.
“Rob McCord has championed the inclusion of women, African-Americans, Hispanics and the LGBT community in publicly traded corporations,” he said. “There is no legislator who has had a more profound impact legislatively than Barney Frank. Not only is he an LGBT Congressman, but obviously he has distinguished himself in terms of a wide variety of issues.”
This year’s event will feature 18 panels, covering an array of issues, affecting LGBTs locally, nationally and internationally.
The National Religious Colloquy, from 7-8:15 p.m. May 2 at the Connelly Auditorium at University of the Arts, 211 S. Broad St., will feature panelists such as the Rev. Gary Hall, dean of the Washington National Cathedral and an LGBT ally. At the same location at 8:30 p.m., the National Transgender Panel will bring together local trans activist Jayden Sampson as moderator with panelists Gender Rights Maryland executive director Dana Beyer and author Ryan Sallans.
The Elected LGBT Officials Panel, from 4-5:15 p.m. May 3 at the National Constitution Center, 525 Arch St., will feature both of Pennsylvania’s out state lawmakers: Reps. Brian Sims and Mike Fleck. The National Politics Panel will follow, moderated by Chuck Wolfe, president of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, and featuring such panelists as Gill Action executive director Kirk Fordham and National Black Justice Coalition executive director Sharon Lettman-Hicks.
The National Legal Panel will run from 1-2:15 p.m. May 4 at UArts, featuring leaders from the Williams Institute, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, the American Civil Liberties Union, National Center for Lesbian Rights and Loyola Law School.
The LGBT History Panel will run at the same time at UArts, focusing on a conversation with LGBT historian and playwright Martin Duberman.
The Featured Nation Panel, from 2:30-3:45 p.m. at Connelly Auditorium, will include remarks by Castro, local activist Ada Bello, Acceso board member Wilfred Labiosa and Center for Democracy in the Americas executive director Sarah Stephens.
At the same time in the UArts board room will be the 15th Annual James Wheeler National Youth Panel.
Special events throughout the festival include a Shabbat service at 6 p.m. May 3 at Rodeph Shalom, 615 N. Broad St.; several performances of the all-male “Shakespeare’s R&J” by the Mauckingbird Theatre Company at UArts; and the 14th annual LGBT Art Exhibit featuring Vuth Lyno at William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St.
There will be a number of parties throughout the week, culminating in SundayOUT! from noon-6 p.m. May 5.
International pop singer-songwriter Kerli and “American Idol” finalist David Hernandez will be the featured musical guests at this year’s event. Lazin said the event will feature hundreds of vendors as well as performances by Fuego Dance Company, Tel Aviv-based drag queen Osher and a collaborative effort from Israeli-based DJ Maya Jakobson and local DJ KAsh.
Lazin said SundayOUT! always requires a large amount of volunteers to allow the event to go smoothly.
“We normally have over 100 volunteers that will be helping us, and we are hugely grateful for their support,” he said.
For more information or a full listing of events, visit www.equalityforum.org.